#askcommoner

I think this will vary dramatically depending on sex, race, cultural diet, etc. but taking global populations into account, here are the averages for full-grown adults of each species...

COMMONERS

Humans: 140 lbs

Dworfs: 250 lbs

Roshava: 220 lbs

Trolls: 600 lbs

Ogres: 1400 lbs

FAE

Elves: 80 lbs

Goblins: 110 lbs

Gnome: 1.5 lb

Sirene: 120 lbs

Cecaelia: 210 lbs (Sovereign, aka Cecaelias Georg, probably brings the whole average up a few pounds lol)

GAIANS

Satyrs: 160 lbs

Fauns: 120 lbs

Minotaurs: 500 lbs

Centaurs: 1300 lbs

Gorgons: 170 lbs

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Good question! Commoners move to Mogdir Kingdom for many reasons, but mainly:

-Safety (fleeing gangs, war, or the law)

-Cleaner environment (Many Zareenites see their families get sick with cancer and other issues due to the local pollution, they get scared and try to live a cleaner life elsewhere. Many can't afford to move to another continent, so they go to the nearest Nymph Pact kingdom, which is Mogdir.)

-Job opportunities. Mogdir Kingdom always wants more commoners in its military, so foreign commoners often come here to secure that kind of work. This is attractive to very poor foreign commoners who have trouble finding work in their native land. They can make pretty good money this way and even send some back to their families.

-Seeking better opportunities for loved ones. Many commoners are in interspecies relationships with fae, or have adopted fae children. They realize Mogdir is not the ideal place for themselves, but there are great opportunities for their fae family members. This kingdom has the best magic schools on Gaia, so many people immigrate just for that.

Life isn't ideal for commoners in Mogdir Kingdom, but it isn't guaranteed to be miserable either. Some of them actually manage to earn a decent living and live a good life. There are little commoner enclaves, especially in Mogdir Capital.

And as you said, many commoners were born there from previous generations, so this place feels the most like home to them. Adapting to a new culture can be very hard and immigrating to a new place can be too expensive. For this reason, they just stay put, even if it's not the greatest place for them.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

As always, these ages are only approximate and there is definitely some wiggle room:

Human: 21

Dworf: 21

Roshava: 21

Troll: 17

Ogre: 17

Elf: 30

Goblin: 30

Gnome: 50

Sirene: 30

Cecaelia: 50

Satyr: 16

Faun: 21

Minotaur: 16

Centaur: 21

Gorgon: 21

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Question 1: As I said before, this is hard to measure, so take these numbers with a grain of salt:

Human: 16

Dworf: 16

Roshava: 16

Troll: 13

Ogre: 13

Elf: 20

Goblin: 20

Gnome: 35

Sirene: 20

Cecaelia: 45

Satyr: 13

Faun: 15

Minotaur: 13

Centaur: 16

Gorgon: 16

Question 2: Sovereign has hundreds of offspring, but has chosen a small handful of his most capable children to be his heirs, lackeys, and goons.

First in line for heir is his chadly son, Champion of Aquaria (nickname "Champ"). There will be more info about him and his family in an upcoming concept, but I can say a few things about him here.

Champ is the strongest, smartest, and most handsome of all Sovereign's offspring, which is why he was chosen to lead the Aquarian Alliance after his father's death. The pressure has been on this guy since his birth to be perfect in every way, as Sovereign holds him to an impossible standard. On the outside, Champ seems like a cool and confident guy. But on the inside, he's a hair away from a nervous breakdown at any given moment. His public persona is very different from the person he is in private.

In public, he projects a dignified and collected presence, as if he's ready to take on anything with the utmost professionalism. But as soon as he comes home and closes the door behind him, he's on the floor having a big, fat panic attack and crying for his mommy.

Champ is trying to stick it out and be the perfect scyllo his crazy father wants him to be, but is is certainly not easy. Sovereign is very hard on him, but also spoils him and parades him around with pride. Because truly, Champ does exceed expectations in almost everything he does...but it's not just luck, it's because he works his fucking ass off 24/7 to be the best. This dude grinds like a belt sander, day in, day out.

Champ's intense daily grind is not exactly sustainable though. There will probably come a day when he comes unglued and falls apart, mentally or physically--or both. And I'm willing to bet it will be at the worst possible moment too...

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Hey you're right! I think I meant to but I must have forgot. I'll just update all of them here...

Humans are known as the "beast tamers". They have a gift for taming animals, using them as tools, weapons, and companions. They're most famous for their close relationship with dogs. This human girl got a puppy for her birthday, sure to be her best friend for many years.

Roshava are the "athletes". The finest athletes in the world are historically roshavan, and while they are very capable in battle, they historically have used their talents for sports instead. This roshavan boy shows off his muscles, hoping to be a wrestler some day.

Dworfs are the "engineers". They are half the size of humans but twice as strong. Their understanding of engineering and natural resistance to pollution has made their civilizations the most impressive in the world, but at the detriment of nature. This dworfen girl is proud of the flower she found, for it was the last living plant on her street.

Trolls are the "tunnelers". Their claws are powerful digging tools and their immune systems are tough, so they like to call the dark, damp, underground their home. This troll boy just emerged from the underground for the first time, and he's ready to terrorize some topsiders.

Ogres are the "heavyweights". With their massive size and unmatched strength, they are feared by other peoples. This ogre girl often gets scolded, for she plays too rough with her little elven friends.

Elves are the "craftsmen". Their sharp vision and long, dextrous fingers allow them to craft all kinds of fine-quality things from shoes, to jewelry, to toys. This elven girl shows off a dress made by her mother and boots made by her father.

Goblins are the "slaves". This species is magically bound by their names. If a non-goblin addresses one with all three parts of their name, the goblin is magically compelled to obey the next order given. This young goblin is watching his back, for his school bully just learned his full name.

Gnomes are the "wee folk". They are the shortest of all peoples, standing only a few inches tall. Despite their doll-like size, this species boasts powerful magic. This young gnome skips merrily through the forest without fear, for she has enchanted a mighty tiger to protect her.

Sirenes are the "beauties of the sea". Their soft, androgynous appearance and vivid colors makes this species a sight for sore eyes. This sirene boy waves to a group of girls on shore, confident that they will fall in love with him at first sight.

Cecaelia are the "ancient ones". This Aquarian species has an impressive lifespan of up to 1,500 years! Their age gives them plenty of time to hone their magic powers, though their alien appearance can be off-putting to others. This cecaelian girl looks like she's smiling, but she is actually baring her teeth in aggression.

Satyrs are the "revelers". They were born for a lifestyle full of drink, dance, and romance. Though some people find their behavior too rowdy and rambunctious, satyrs rarely mean any harm and just want to have fun. This satyr girl is having a great time dancing to music.

Fauns are the "musicians". Though they are the physically weakest of all gaians, fauns are also the most graceful movers, the second-fastest runners, and have the greatest potential for spellcasting. Their sensitive ears also give them a natural gift for music. This faun boy is upset because his parents took his flute away.

Minotaurs are the "barbarians". This large, powerful species may be the slowest-moving of all gaians, but they are also the strongest. Minotaurs have trouble communicating with other species due to the beast-like shape of their mouths. This young minotaur is learning sign language as an alternative.

Centaurs are the "racers". They are the fastest-moving of all peoples and they are quite strong too, making them top-notch soldiers and athletes. Though they are fast and powerful, their legs are prone to breaking easily. This centaur boy is in time-out for throwing his weight around the schoolyard.

Gorgons are the "venomous ones". Male gorgons have a venomous barb on their tails which can poison their enemies, while females instead have a loud and intimidating rattle, which they also use for musical purposes. Gorgons can't jump very well and they struggle to climb stairs, but they do move surprisingly fast. This gorgon girl is wearing jewelry made from the scaly skin of her ancestors.

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Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Hannibal Lecter is in the askbox again!

I think the "best" tasting species would be a matter of personal opinion, so I can't really speak on that. But this is a fun question, so here's what I think their meat would be like...

COMMONERS

Human: Apparently tastes like pork IRL, so...that.

Dworf: Like pork but worse. The fatty parts are greasy and the muscle is dense and hard to chew.

Roshava: Muscley, sinewy, and chewy. Flavor is probably tangy.

Troll: Super gamey flavor with inedibly tough skin. Once you get past the skin it's not that bad, probably like eating wild boar.

Ogre: The blubbery parts are decent, but good luck getting to them because the skin and muscle are so damn tough you'll break your jaw off trying to chew them.

FAE

Elf: They taste strangely sweet, but you're hungry again 10 minutes later. You burn more calories picking the meager amounts of meat off the bone than you get from eating it.

Goblin: Their meat is lightweight yet tough, unsatisfying, has a bland taste.

Gnome: Earthy little snaccs that never seem to fill your stomach no matter how many of them you eat.

Sirene: Tastes fishy in a bad way. Horrendous sinewy texture.

Cecaelia: Think of the shittiest sushi you've ever had. It's basically that. Cecaelia meat shrivels into an inedible string no matter how you cook it, and eating it uncooked is a slimy, miserable experience that tastes like licking a whole raw tuna from the seafood counter.

GAIANS

Satyr: A lot like mutton, although you might get drunk or high from consuming it...

Faun: Tastes similar to venison, except you don't get nearly as much meat from them as you would from a deer.

Minotaur: Probably pretty good honestly...like if pork and beef fused into one weird frankenmeat.

Centaur: The equine part is not much different than eating a horse. So, if you like super lean meat, you'll be into it. The humanoid part has more of a pork flavor, but it's way chewier and more muscley, and overall not very good.

Gorgon: Have you ever eaten snake? It's a lot like that.

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Questions/Comments?

Good question. Throughout history, different cultures have had different names for these classes, and some of these names are still in use today. The terms "fae", "gaian", and "commoner" are just the ones that the World Athenaeum decided to use.

"Fae" was pulled from a language called Elvish, which was widely spoken among elves in the Arcadian Forest. The word meant "magical" in that language.

"Commoner" was pulled from the Blue Valley region. In the language spoken by ancient proto-Evangelites, it means "mundane"--aka: not magical.

The term "gaian" has a more in-depth history originating in the Midland Jungle, where modern-day Matuzu Capital City now lies. In olden times, there were many conflicts between the local peoples as each species grappled for supremacy in the new budding kingdom. The local fauns, centaurs, satyrs, and minotaurs formed a political/religious faction called "Guild of the Gaians". They called themselves "gaians", reasoning that their animal-like features meant that they were part beast, and beasts are inherently part of Gaia.

This guild believed that they were not created by Gaia, but were part of her all along, and that's why they were superior to other species and more deserving of special privileges. This group grew huge at one point, but eventually petered out as time passed and sensibilities changed. Once in a while you'll still get some modern-day weirdos who adopt this ancient ideology and try to revive it.

The Guild saw a resurgence after the mass exodus of gaians from Matuzu Kingdom, which led to the birth of Etios Nation. Today, the Guild only exists in small, scattered groups, the vast majority of which are in Etios Nation. This ideology isn't tolerated very well elsewhere. They're seen as prejudiced wackos in Matuzu Kingdom, for example.

Nevertheless, they did manage to spread the term "gaian" around like wildfire in their heyday and it really caught on throughout the Midlands. At some point the Athenaeum picked it up and decided to make that the term for "semi-magical peoples" in Universa, since so many cultures were already familiar with the word.

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Questions/Comments?

There are many reasons to hire humans over other species. Some may be political. In Evangeline Kingdom, for example, humans have more rights than other species, so they may be the first choice for many higher-level jobs.

Another reason is bigotry. Maybe the boss just doesn't like other species and prefers to hire humans instead.

There is also logistics. Maybe the area in question simply has more humans living in it, and other species aren't available to hire in sufficient numbers. Or maybe because humans have more rights in that area, they have a better education and are therefore more qualified for the job.

Different species have their own strengths and weaknesses. Ogres, for example, boast high physical strength but they are also considered very intimidating by most other species, so they are never the first pick for customer-service type jobs. In fact, you will find that a lot of species have that intimidation factor that makes them a poor choice for any public-facing job. Ogres, trolls, minotaurs, centaurs, roshava, cecaelia, gorgons, goblins, satyrs, and even dworfs are considered "too intimidating" or "too ugly" for certain professions.

Likewise, there are species which are considered naturally "charming" or "cute". This includes humans, but also elves, fauns, gnomes, and sirenes. These species are physically weaker, but that turns out to be a boon in this case because it makes them less threatening. The public responds more positively to them by default.

TL;DR: What humans lack in strength, they make up for in charisma. In other words, if Looming Gaia were an RPG, humans would be the only commoner species with decent charisma points. This gives them a solid niche which ensures that no other species can replace them. Therefore, there will always be jobs that are best suited to humans.

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Questions/Comments?